C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Safety at Chennai Metro Rail worksite was compromised again as a crane
operator was electrocuted and two Metro rail workers had narrow escape
when the boom of a crane came in contact with 25KV AC electric wire
near St Thomas Mount Metro station.
The metro rail stretch between Alandhur to Airport has been prone to
accidents due to Chennai Metro Rail’s failure to ensure safety at
worksite. And Saturday’s accident was nothing new.
Recounting the incident, Manoj, a metro rail worker, said that he
along with his colleague Munna got into the boom of the crane to plug
the gaps on the elevated stretch near St Thomas Mount station.
“It was around 10.30 am and crane operator Umapathy moved the boom
after we had finished the work to another place. As he was moving the
boom, it came in contact with a live electrical wire. There were
sparks. We found ourselves being lifted one metre above and then we
blacked out,” recalled a shocked Manoj, who hails from Aurangabad in
Bihar.
Interestingly, it was the plywood that saved the lives of Manoj and
Munna, who also hails from Bihar. But Umapathy, who hails from Uttar
Padesh and has three years of experience as crane operator, was not
that lucky enough. The impact of the boom coming in contact with 25kv
AC live wire was such that not only the crane got electrocuted but
also the road below. Umapathy suffered 50 per cent burn injuries on
both his legs. He is currently recuperating at Balaji hospital.
“Thank God, we were standing on the plywood but we were electrocuted
but not that level as Umapathy,” said Manoj.
Manoj said that he and Munna were lying unconscious in the boom for
nearly 20 minutes after which the fire fighters came in and rescued
us. “While coming down, we were shocked to see the extensive damage. I
would have never gone up if I had known that there was a live wire
above,” he said.
The contractor at the site was Larsen and Toubro. The L&T officials
refused to talk about the incident. A senior Chennai Metro Rail
official said that the incident was due to a safety lapse. “We will be
conducting an enquiry as well as safety audit of the worksite. It
would have been due to failure on the part of one individual,” the
official said.
But sources reveal it was a lapse on the part of L&T. While one could
not dispute on the electrification of the stretch between Alandhur to
OTA, as the stretch is likely to be opened for trains soon, the
failure lies failing to ensure power block or shutdown while the work
was being carried out.
“It was like putting the lives of the labourers at risk. They should
have ensured that it was safe to carry out the work,” said an engineer
at the site.
However, the stretch has been prone to several accidents due to safety
lapses on the part of Chennai Metro Rail. Recently, a road caved in
near GST when Chennai Metro was carrying work on the 500 metre
underground stretch between OTA and Meenambakkam. Similarly, a
commuter lost his life when 10 feet long blue colour railing weighing
approximately 30 kg fell on him between Alandhur to St Thomas Mount
stretch. In 2013, a worker was killed and three others were injured
when a girder collapsed near St Thomas Mount station.
Factfile:
Unsafe corridor:
1. A worker was killed and three others injured when a girder
collapsed in St Thomas Mount
2. A commuter lost his life when 10 feet long blue colour railing
weighing approximately 30 kg fell on him between Alandhur to St Thomas
Mount stretch last month.
3. Traffic was hit on busy GST road when a portion of road caved in
whileChennai Metro Rail was undertaking excavation works in the 500
metre underground stretch between OTA an Meenambakkam on July 17
4. A large metal fastener from the Chennai Airport’s Metro Rail
Station fell to the ground and smashed into the bonnet of a car
entering the domestic terminal on July 20
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